Substance Use Disorders and Overdose: The Basics Public Curricula – Essential Knowledge for Families and Communities Core Component 1 © 2014, Overdose Prevention Coalition

The OverdoseFreePA website is brought to you by the Overdose Prevention Coalition, a collaborative between: The Pennsylvania Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs (DDAP) The Single County Authorities (SCAs) of: Allegheny County Blair County Bucks County Butler County Dauphin County Delaware County Westmoreland County The Allegheny County Medical Examiner’s Office The Program Evaluation Research Unit, University of Pittsburgh School of Pharmacy The project is supported by a generous grant from the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency.

What is Substance Use Disorder (SUD)? SUD is a broad term that includes abuse of and dependence on drugs and alcohol. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), 2011

SUDs In the U.S., an estimated 22.2 million persons aged 12 or older were classified with substance dependence or abuse in This represents 8.5 % of the population. National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), 2012

SUDs (cont’d) Of these individuals: – 2.8 million had dependence or abuse of both alcohol and illicit drugs. – 4.5 million had dependence or abuse of illicit drugs but not alcohol. – 14.9 million had dependence or abuse of alcohol but not illicit drugs. NSDUH, 2012

Addiction is a Brain Disease, and it Matters Addiction is a complex brain disease characterized by compulsive, at times uncontrollable, drug craving, seeking, and use that persist despite potentially devastating consequences. Volkow, 2010

Addiction is a Brain Disease, and it Matters (cont’d) Addiction is medically recognized as a disease. NOT a personal weakness. Leshner, 1997

Addiction is a Brain Disease, and it Matters(cont’d) The initial choice to take drugs is voluntary, but a person’s ability to exert self control can become impaired when SUD takes over. SUDs are accompanied by social stigma and shame, but SUD is actually a brain disease. Livingston, 2012; National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), 2010

Co-Occurring Disorders Mental health disorders and SUD often co-occur. In other words, individuals with SUD often have a mental health condition at the same time and vice versa. SAMHSA, 2014

Co-Occurring Disorders (cont’d) Co-occurring disorders can further complicate the lives of individuals with SUDs. Approximately 8.9 million adults are diagnosed with co-occurring disorders. Only 7.4% of people receive treatment for both conditions % of do not receive any treatment. SAMHSA, 2014

There are Many Pathways to Recovery SAMHSA, 2012 Each person’s recovery needs are different. People have different strengths, goals, preferences, culture and backgrounds. These things affect a person’s pathway to recovery.

Recovery = Hope People with SUDs and their families must maintain the hope that recovery is possible. SAMHSA, 2012

Substance Use is Harmful Substance use can have negative effects on a person’s health and wellbeing. Serious health problems can develop. SUD most commonly begins in adolescence. Immediate risks to a person’s health from SUD include overdose. NIDA, 2007

Overdose An overdose means having too much of a drug or alcohol, or a mix of drugs and/or alcohol for your body to safely handle. Overdose can result in permanent brain damage, permanent organ damage or death. Overdose symptoms can look different depending what kinds of drugs were used. DDAP, 2014; Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 2012

Overdose (cont’d) Drug overdose was the leading cause of injury death in the U.S. in Among people 25 to 64 years old, drug overdose caused more deaths than motor vehicle traffic crashes in CDC, 2012

What is an Opioid? Opioids are typically prescribed to help manage pain. Vicodin, Codeine, OxyContin, Percocet, Opana, Methadone, and Fentanyl are examples of these medications. Some illicit drugs, like heroin, are also opioids. Project Lifeline, 2010

The Prescription Opioid Epidemic Deaths due to prescription opioid use have more than tripled in the past ten years across the U.S. Prescription opioids have been linked to a significant increase in overdose deaths in Pennsylvania. CDC, 2014; Sapatkin, 2014

The Epidemic in Pennsylvania Pennsylvania ranks 7 th in the nation for the most opioid deaths per year. In the past year, prescription painkiller deaths have tripled. Sapatkin, 2014

Recovery Involves Individual, Family and Community Strengths and Responsibility SAMHSA, 2012

Overdose is Preventable The best strategy for preventing overdose is to address SUD or pain management issues appropriately before they lead to overdose. NIDA, 2014